How to Germinate Lignum Vitae

Grown as a landscape tree and coveted by woodworkers for its dense, hard wood, lignum vitae (Guaiacum officinale) is a warm-climate evergreen that typically grows slowly to 30 feet tall. The pale blue to purple flowers bloom year-round. As each flower fades, green fruits develop that gradually turn orange as they ripen. Each fruit on the lignum vitae tree contains two seeds. You can propagate lignum vitae from seed, but germination success varies, so plant more than you need. Lignum vitae grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10b through 12.

1

Fill a 4- to 6-inch pot with a soilless seed-starting potting mix. Use a pot that has at least one drainage hole in the bottom. Prepare one pot for each lignum vitae seed.

2

Make a 1/4-inch-deep hole in the center of the pot with your index finger. Drop one seed into the hole and then smooth the soil back over it.

3

Water the potting mix in the pot until it is evenly damp and water starts to seep out of the hole in the bottom.

4

Place the pot or pots containing the lignum vitae seeds in a bright area, out of indirect light.

5

Maintain a constant temperature between 75 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit around the seeds during germination. Maintaining warmth during germination is important. If you have a warm greenhouse or spot indoors where the temperature is consistently between 75 and 86 F, you can keep the seeds there. An alternative way to keep seeds warm, and provide bottom heat, is to use a seed heating pad.

6

Water the potting mix around the seeds whenever it starts to dry out on top, keeping it evenly damp during the germination period and the first few weeks of growth. Lignum vitae seeds take between 10 and 17 days to germinate.

Things You Will Need

4- to 6-inch pot

Soilless seed-starting potting mix

Tips

If you have access to a flowering lignum vitae tree, you can harvest the seeds for planting. The fruit takes one to two months to ripen turning from green to orange. Pick the ripe fruit. Rub the fruit on a cloth to expose the seeds then rinse them well to remove fruit pulp. You can store lignum vitae tree seeds for up to one month after harvesting.

You can plant the seedlings out in the garden when they grow 7 to 12 inches tall, about 18 to 24 months after germination.

Lignum vitae grows best in full sun or part shade and can tolerate a range of soils, including salty conditions near the ocean.

About the Author

Eulalia Palomo has been a professional writer since 2009. Prior to taking up writing full time she has worked as a landscape artist and organic gardener. Palomo holds a Bachelor of Arts in liberal studies from Boston University. She travels widely and has spent over six years living abroad.